disingenuous

adjective

Definition of disingenuousnext
as in dishonest

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disingenuous And yet to describe the mood as optimistic would be disingenuous. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Conversations with Chiarella helped Clausen nail down the technical elements of his performance, practicing disingenuous smiles and blank eyes. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026 My audience can smell something disingenuous pretty quick. — Holly Gleason, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 Sadly, Mamdani is disingenuous about my tribe. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disingenuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disingenuous
  1. dishonest
  2. deceitful
  3. untruthful
  4. contrived
  5. hypocritical
  6. unnatural
  7. devious
  8. assumed
Adjective
  • Of course, the senior consultant wasn't actually calling customers dishonest.
    — Natalie Lemke, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • There is an endless list of important takeaways from the new information, notably that Fauci was repeatedly and purposefully dishonest in order to get the public to comply with his policies and recommendations.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of dishonest
Adjective
  • Bogus texts, mystery calls, deceitful emails all aimed at stealing your personal information and your money are relentless.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The mutual trust and goodwill that xenia sought to cultivate has been eroded by this one deceitful act, creating a world that is defined by this moral violation.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 19 July 2026
Definition of deceitful
Adjective
  • In February, federal authorities launched an investigation into two federal immigration agents who appeared to have made untruthful statements under oath regarding a nonfatal shooting of an immigrant in Minneapolis in January.
    — Hallie Golden, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • This inquiry identified insufficient evidence to conclude that Garcia knowingly made an untruthful statement.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Definition of untruthful
Adjective
  • Creighton jokes, explaining that making the film accessible to people is far more interesting to her than some sort of contrived celebrity impact campaign.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The most contrived shift, however, is this season’s sudden distance from the men’s team.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of contrived
Adjective
  • Some players cited the league’s partnerships with sports betting companies as hypocritical or even laying the foundation for this sort of scandal.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 28 July 2026
  • Amendments placed on the ballot by lawmakers would still need only a statewide majority — a distinction critics call hypocritical.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • When channels are created with unsuitable blades, angles, or placement, transplanted hair may grow in an unnatural direction or produce an overly uniform appearance.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the internet is fake, and people communicate to one another there in a way that is wholly unnatural.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of unnatural
Adjective
  • This week’s run of shows and movies include a grisly House of the Dragon finale, an exciting new horror from Jane Schoenbrun, a rom-com with a devious catch, and the return of Ted Lasso.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The plot involves two sons of rich, miserly fathers in love with girls their fathers will never approve of and what happens when the fathers’ devious servants decide to give the boys a hand.
    — Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026
Definition of devious
Adjective
  • In cross-cultural or complex partnerships, misalignment often stems from assumed definitions of success.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • While Craig will be the assumed starter, typically Dykes has at least tried to have a quarterback battle, with redshirt freshman Adam Schobel being Craig’s primary competition to watch.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of assumed

Browse Nearby Words

disinformation
disingenuous
disinherit
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Disingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disingenuous. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All